Chapter 3: Surprise!

The least we can say is that Zapata was surprised to see the man who haunted her thoughts right in front of her. He was obviously coming to hear from her. The brunette thought it was adorable. Her teammate was surprised to see the young woman rather dynamic despite her apparent fatigue, but he did not train. After all, it took a lot to overcome his partner.
"Hey, Tasha, how are you?" He asked, smiling tenderly.
"Reade, I'm fine. I had two complicated days but it's okay," she replied happily.
"Mayfair explained that you needed a leave. I just came to see how you were doing. Since you don't often miss work even when you're sick, I figured you might need to talk to someone."
"Thanks, this is really adorable. It touches me a lot. To be honest it would not hurt me to discuss."
"Mom, can you come, please? My arm hurt,"
the little girl cried from her room. The Hispanic looked at him panicked. She had not anticipated that Edgar would discover her maternity, especially this way.
"Why a little girl called you mom?" Her friend questioned in shock.
"Come in, I think I owe you explanations," Zapata proposed by understanding that she had no choice but sincerity. Even if she was afraid of his reaction she was reassured that he knew. Tasha was tired of lying, tired of pretending. The two teammates returned to the young woman's apartment. When they arrived in the salon Reade saw six years old little girl who looked very much like her friend. The policeman noticed that she was plastered to the arm and had a wound to the head. The young man suddenly understood the reasons for his colleague's absence.

"Sorry I didn't want to bother you," Hope apologized when she saw that a man with her mother.
"No, you did well, sweetie. Reade, this is Hope, my daughter."
"Hello Hope, I'm Edgar I work with your mom,"
he presented himself once the surprise passed.
"Hi, I'm glad to meet you I had never met a colleague of mom before today," the little girl is delighted very playful.
"I am very happy to meet you too," the agent smiled tenderly. To say he was shocked was an understatement. Only he did not want to react excessively without knowing the reason for this lie. The child seemed adorable. He would be dying to know the daughter of her best friend.
"Your arm really hurt, sweetheart?" the pretty Hispanic questioned.
"Yes, it hurt a lot."
"Okay, you stay here I'll get you medicine. I'll be back for two seconds," Tasha announced to her partner.
"Of course, go ahead. Tell me it must really be painful what you have on your arm," Edgar assumed. He was always as surprised, but he could see the immense anxiety of his friend for her daughter.
"Yes, it's true it hurts but I'm fine. I fell off the slide at school yesterday. I had to go to the hospital because I had a very bad arm and head. They said that I had it was broken but that I had no concussion. I did not even cry when they did the radios and they put the plaster. Mommy said I was very brave."
"It does not surprise me, courageous like your mother," the policeman remarked completely under the spell of this adorable child.
"Yes, it is true that mom is very brave and not only in her work. She told me you were helping her to chase the bad guys so you must be very brave too."
"Did your Mama ever tell you about me?"
"Yes, she also told me about your other colleagues but when she tells me her work she speaks most often of you. You're, how they say, teammate so that's normal, right?"
"Yes, I think,"
he replied astonished to hear that Tasha was talking about him to anyone.
"What is normal?" the brunette questioned by returning with the medicine.
"Nothing mom, everything is fine."
"Take this medicine you'll have less pain. Princess, please go back to your room I need to speak with Reade."

The little one conceded feeling the anguish of her mother. Once Hope left a discomfort settled between the two friends. Zapata settled on the couch next to Edgar but neither of them really knew how to start the conversation. She began to speak, the voice trembling with panic.
"Listen, Reade, I'm sorry to have hidden it from you it's just that it's really very complicated."
"Hey, relax. I don't blame you. I am surprised and I have a lot of questions, but I am not angry. We know each other so that I can be sure that you have your reasons, but I must say that I would like to understand. You can trust me, you know. So why didn't you tell me that you had a daughter and the rest of the team too."
Edgar interrupted touched by her apparent terror. Seeing her so badly broke her heart.
"I trust you, more than anyone and for me, it is not something easy. It is a very long story and not really very cheerful on the contrary. More than once I wanted to tell you about it, tell you about it. Only though I love my daughter more than anything in the world and I am infinitely proud of her, there is something I would rather forget, really," the young woman confessed moved. She actually had a blind trust in her partner only her past was difficult to evoke.
"I understand that sometimes there are things that we would rather not remember. It is your life and I understand but honestly, I am delighted to meet hope. She really looks adorable. In any case of what I saw she looks like you very much," the young man announced trying to reassure her. She had had to live some awful things to react like that and all he wanted was to help her.
"Thanks this is a very nice compliment partner and it touches me. Only there is something I hope it will not look like to me."
"I do not see what she could inherit from you and which you might not be proud of. You are a wonderful person Tash'."
The young woman was very touched by her partner's compliment, his understanding, and his sweetness. He was really amazing.

"Is it because of her fall that you left hurriedly yesterday?"
"Yes, her mistress called to tell me she was in the hospital. I was really scared for her especially when she mentioned a head injury. I really thought I could lose her, and I couldn't bear it. I'm sorry I lied to you, but I couldn't lose her because of our work. I do not want you to see me differently."
"I understand but you know for me you will always be the same Tasha: strong, independent, courageous and impressive."
"Thank you but I hate myself very much,"
the young woman excused. He was so wonderful that she felt even more guilty.
"I have not always been of a flawless honesty between the case with Jones, Freddy, Sarah and my investigation of Jane."
"Yes, at last, you did not hide that you had a child."
"Yes, that's true but hey I think I can understand why you did it. "
"Thank you, thank you very much you do not imagine how it touches me. I'm going to make dinner for Hope."
"Okay, I understand I'll leave you,"
Edgar declared a little disappointed but understanding.
"No, but you can stay. Well, if you want, you could have dinner with us. Hope would be delighted and me too," Zapata proposed really hurriedly, having no desire to see him go.
"I would be very happy too. Do you need help?" the policeman asked politely. He was really delighted with her best friend's proposal. He loved spending time with her, and Reade was convinced that this new facet of her personality would only make her more attractive.
"No thanks, it's nice but it's already almost done. I had some time to kill today."
"I'm not really surprised. At the same time, I have a lot of trouble imagining you inactive for a whole day without wanting to strangle someone."
"Hey, don't exaggerate either, finally whatever."

Tasha and Reade went into the kitchen laughing. The young woman ended up preparing dinner while his teammate was contemplating her. What he had just discovered greatly surprised him, but it only strengthened his admiration for his colleague. It also saddened him. When she spoke very briefly about her past and her child the African American had understood that it was surely one of the causes of the suffering of the Hispanic. The agent had long assimilated that his colleague's demons were even deeper and more terrible than he knew. He thought that with time she would talk to him, but he didn't want to rush it. The two teammates were thus finishing preparing the meal in a good mood. Edgar was delighted to be able to dine with the pretty brunette and her daughter. He could learn more about Zapata and spending time in her company was always a pleasure. Plus, Hope really looked like a great little girl. He had no doubts that she would be a good company. After about fifteen minutes they could go to the table.